I applied for a job today!
 

LOL! Last time I did that was about 30 years ago! I've been bored off my ass with nothing to sell so I thought I'd take a swing at a sales position opening with a local Deere dealer.

I stopped in to inquire about the opening I had seen online. The guy I needed to talk to was at lunch so I left my name and number. The guy calls me and says "go ahead and fill out an application online". I told him "my application isn't going to be very impressive. I've been unemployed for 25 years". The guy laughed and I explained that I've been self employed since about 1995. I told him I've been selling used construction equipment fulltime since 2008 and that the pandemic has pretty much killed my ability to buy equipment to sell. He understood and asked that I fill out an application listing self employed as my work experience. I made up a quick resume listing my sales experience just to give him a better picture of my body of work.

I called a dealer a few weeks ago inquiring about a sales position. The guy said "we don't have enough equipment to keep our current sales staff busy. We couldn't possibly take on another salaried salesperson" To which I said "Who said salary? I looking for straight commission. I don't need a regular weekly or bi weekly paycheck. I need something to do. I need something to sell. I don't need you to have current inventory. I need to have the ability to sell a new piece even if it'll take the customer waiting three or four months to get it." Maybe that sounds over confident but I know what I can do as long as I believe in the product I'm selling.

My biggest issue is, I'm not sure I'm ready to work for someone else again. I don't "need" the money but I do need something to do. Making deals happen is what motivates me to get out of bed in the morning. Maybe that will be enough to motivate me to go to work for someone else. But damn it'll be tough as I've enjoyed so much freedom over the years. I'm hoping it'll be an outside sales position that doesn't require me to go into the office.

I tried to buy a Kubota RTV 1100C and was told that it would "about a year" to get it, which I interpreted was a TBS story. So then I started looking for a Can Am Defender, to which I was told up front was backlogged due to parts uncertainty and a fire in Mexico at one of the factories. Really, a Canadian company assembling product in Mexico to be sold in the US?

I determined that the only way to get what I wanted was to look for new existing dealer stock. I lucked out and found a new Polaris Ranger 2021 model (this was in late August) that a dealer in Merced bought from another dealer in the mid-West. The total crazy part now is that the global parts chain is still f-ed up, and now the same machine that I bought just under 6 months ago can be sold for almost $10K more now. If I was an equipment dealer, I'd be trying to find an angle to buy and sell rich man toys (boats, exotic cars, and UTVs) at a profit. I find that engine hours of up to a few hundred hours does not make a difference. And no way in Hell am I going to sell my buggy, even for that much $$.

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I hear ya brother! I bought my Ranger 900XP last year in February. It's a '15' with 187 hours on it. I know I could make money on it, but then what the hell am I gonna do when I need a SxS? I've been looking around for deals on used Polaris, Can Am, Honda, even Cub Cadet! But it's the same stuff, crazy prices. I've considered looking into becoming a Polaris dealer but that would require a storefront and I'm really not into taking on any debt.

Good luck with it, Nick! Would your previous customers be ripe for following up on? I find if I believe in what I'm selling, I can do well. Then it's not so much a job as a passion. At least it's not like you have to work somewhere to make ends meet. Keep us posted.

I'd end up drinking my profits. Not a good plan. That or I'd get bored and start drinking. Then pretty soon it'd be "sorry folks... we're sold out" and I hadn't sold a damn thing all day!

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With so much of what I did being out of state and in several different brands, it would be a bit difficult. I could sell used, if they have it. But I wouldn't be able to sell new into another dealer's territory. Luckily all of my customers have what they bought as their last name in my phone! So I know which guys are the Deere customers. It always blows my customers minds when they call and I answer with "Hey ... how are you doing? How's the .... running?" It's funny how many think I have a good memory.

Are parts and accessories tough to get? I would think there's some game in that end of the biz also to get you out there moving and shaking if inventory stays low.

Good luck Nick!

I was shocked when, as a program manager four years or so with a little bit of end-of-FY cash to splash we spent like $27k on a Polaris to use around our explosive firing ranges. Nothing sexy, just a crude micro-ute. That's what my '16 Mazda 3 cost!

Perhaps we got the "special government price" but darn if they're not just printing money with those things! Now I'm sure they're even more expensive, and you get to wait. And wait. And wait.

I hope we get back someday to the Old-Normal instead of this New-Normal carp.

Honestly, I'm kicking myself for not purchasing a new Ranger last year when I had the chance. I could have bought a new XP Northstar edition with cab and air for around 22K with the incentives they were offering. I could have made some coin on that machine as I only put about 15 hours my machine in a year.

I sell a line of new attachments, if I can get them. The problem? They've implemented surcharges of up to 25% on certain attachments and they have problems getting steel to produce the attachments which puts lead times out several weeks. Most guys aren't willing to wait for an attachment. A machine? Yeah. But there are so many attachment manufacturers that there's no need to wait. And cost? Most don't care. They'll increase their price for the work they're doing to cover the increased cost of equipment and attachments.

The Steen Kabuto dealership I pass by twice a week looks to have full inventory. It wasn’t like that six months ago though. Same for the Deere dealership.

RDO Equipment, Ehrenberg AZ is right down the street from my AZ home. The other RDO site is off Ledro Hwy. outside of Buttonwillow raceway in central Cal. Both John Deere dealers & service
Know the owner well.

I have a few dealers I work with that have told me Kubota has done well at keeping them supplied with machines. I visited a dealer Southwest of me to see what their inventory looked like. They had a lot of compact tractors but rubber tires skid steers, compact track loaders and excavators? Nada.

RDO is huge! I've worked with them in the past. They have always been a difficult company for me to purchase from.

I’ll have to take a closer work Friday on the way home, to see exactly what they have.

I wasn't familiar with them so I took a look. Looks like they're a Yanmar dealer too. That's two really solid lines. I'm surprised Kubota and Yanmar would allow that. I've heard that Bobcat is giving dealers an "us or them" ultimatum. Yanmar wouldn't give me the time of day a few years ago because they wanted to protect a few dealers that were at least 40 miles away and didn't sell in my market. Really weird.

We just bought a gator from the local Deere dealer. 5ish month delay. And that was the quick one. Other gators were longer wait time.

Northstar Ultimate. But you'd have to run me over with a cement truck and pry the keys from my hands to get it.

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Around here, Bobcat and Kubota are pretty jealous of each other. You might find a Massey Ferguson dealer that sells Kubota, but you won't find a Bobcat dealer that sells anything else. It's the same with Ford Equipment. They will sell New Holland, but that's it. And Cat? Don't even think about buying anything but Caterpillar from a Cat dealer.

That used to be the way things were with most dealers. Competitive brand trades went out the door and out of market. That's why I never used to have problems buying equipment. But today? With inventories low and salesmen needing paid, most have gone to selling their competitive brand trades even if that means selling them back into their own market.

Massey/Kubota is a somewhat common thing really. Massey doesn't have their own line of construction equipment so you'll see a Massey dealer with Kubota, Gehl, Mustang, Takeuchi construction equipment. Same with some Case dealers because of the way Case handles construction equipment. You can have a Case construction and Case AG dealer in the same market and the Case AG dealer can't sell case skid steers or mini excavators because of the Case construction dealer in the area.

With retirement on the horizon, I’ve thought about the same situation. Living on the lake I considered buying, upfixing and selling used boats. But we’re planning to move closer to civilization soon so I may do the same with motorcycles.

The point is...look beyond ag equipment if you’re looking for a pass-time. Buying, tinkering and selling are all fun...sounds like we have that in common. Broaden your horizons a bit and you may find what you are seeking.

No applications today but a really good conversation with a rather large Case IH dealer. The VP of Equipment Operations is going to line up a meeting between me, him and the senior VP of operations in a few weeks to discuss some things the company has in the works. He asked if I'd be closing my business to which I told him, it all depends on the opportunity that exists. They have two Bobcat affiliated stores which works well with my experience. They're also a Kubota compact tractor dealer at a few stores. Should be interesting.

I trust your resume' included your experience as a Pelican moderator.

Have prospective employers visit PPOT and ask for references. You're as good as hired!

_

Just don't use Z as a reference. Too soon? :D

Good luck Nick!

LOL!
I might use your offer of some creamy tomato basil soup to see if I can sweeten the pot!

I don't want them to think I'm nuts! :D

It's about time you got a job, young man.

I know. Such a slacker!

I've been out "scouting" a bit. MAN it's tough out there. I went to Ft Wayne yesterday to look at the dealers in that area. I didn't stop by the CAT dealer only because it's hard to tell what is in their rental and new inventory. The CAT dealer is weird in that all their new equipment runs through the CAT rental store. The Bobcat and Kubota dealers in FT Wayne had literally no new machines on the lot :eek: There is a Kubota tractor dealer (weird that Kubota did this in the same market) that had a fair amount of compact tractors on hand. I'm going to go over to Lima today to look around and see what the Bobcat dealer there has on hand. Did I mention it's tough out there? I'm glad I don't have a store with employees that I need to worry about right now!

I've also been paying attention to car dealers. The Honda/Toyota dealer in Lima has very limited new stock. The GMC/Dodge/Kia dealer has a lot of inventory but I can't help wonder how much of it actually runs (chip shortage) The same was true of the Chevy dealer in Ft Wayne. Looked like a lot of inventory on the lot but I can't help wonder how many actually have a chip and how many are simply sitting there so they aren't taking up space on a storage lot. The Toyota dealer in Ft Wayne seemed low on new inventory. The Subaru dealer appeared to have a decent amount of new. Used car lots had a lot of vehicles wherever I looked.

What a weird world it is right now.

Did they have any Pearl Gray Civic SI's on the lot? :)

I have never once filled out an application for a job. Been employed pretty much since I was 16.

I was literally sitting in class in high school, when my first boss leaned over and asked me if I wanted a job. Of course I said sure. He was visiting the room to take pictures for the yearbook. I have just started driving so I was just a bit over 16. He put me right to work, and there was no application. After several years of working full time after graduating from high school, I asked for at least a $12,000 per year salary. He refused, so I moved to Oklahoma and my application was the owner put me in a darkroom, and said to make me 8x10 color print from this negative. I had to figure out his darkroom, and when the first print came off the processor he said show up on Monday at 8:00.

When I got into aerial photography the owner of the company invited me to lunch one day. He offered to hire me at a bigger salary than I was making and promised regular raises if I was a good worker. I gave my notice and started in aerial photography. When that company was taken over by the idiot son and driven into bankruptcy in short order I started my own company with a business partner.

The week it took me to move from Alabama to Oklahoma was my only period of no paycheck, and one of those days was the 4th of July, so I have had 4 days of unemployment since I was 16.

^^^ I've never filled one out either.
Every job was thru referrals.

Nick, I hear they are hiring at Taco Bell.

Used restaurant equipment can be lucrative.

Some with a nice sign on bonus! Maybe I should make a run for the border! If they'd pay me in burritos I'd probably be happy.

You could do web consulting/equipment troubleshooting. I'll post some rave reviews.

SmileWavy SmileWavy

LOL!!! Thanks bud!

I have had people stop here to look at a machine and suggest I do videos on how to inspect a machine. Sadly I don't have the rack to really monetize the whole thing. :)

If you get the TB job :D....please get them to hurry up with the Mexican Pizza.
Why does it take two months to bring it back?? :confused: